Build an Extreme Green Rain Barrel

These instructions address all aspects of water conservation while describing how to build a high-quality, low-cost rain barrel. The first of the Extreme Green(tm) do-it-yourself series, these instructions use recycled food-grade plastic barrels and simple assembly techniques to create an elegant solution for weekend conservationists

These instructions also explain how to lower your water consumption by pointing to internationally acclaimed water conservation products, and showing how to offset your use of publicly treated water with a home constructed DIY cistern system that uses harvested rainwater as a supplementary water source.

With over 58 illustrations, example calculations, and tabular rainfall references , these instructions explain how to identify how big your cistern should be and how much water you can realistically expect to harvest.

Starting with one rain barrel and adding to it in a methodical manner, your rain harvesting can grow from a simple garden supplement to a large reservoir that can supply a significant amount of water for your garden, lawn, and non-potable water needs. Like a rain barrel on steroids, this simple approach recovers usable rain water instead of watching it run down the drain.